by generalsjoes | Jun 17, 2010 | Comics and Cartoons, G.I. Joe, G.I. Joe Comics, IDW
Wow. The IDW Universe is really starting to pick up steam, and September looks no different, with a wide assortment of fun and interesting looking titles. Some very cool artwork on these covers, and some serious intrigue scattered throughout. Looking forward to seeing what the months ahead are going to bring us!
I mean come on…in one month we’ve got another G.I. Joe: Cobra Special…a tribute to the original silent issue (and a first peek at Snake Eyes’ origin)…and Rod freaking Whigham drawing a G.I. Joe cover again! Click the “read the rest of this entry” link below to get all of the details!
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by generalsjoes | Apr 24, 2010 | Comics and Cartoons, G.I. Joe, G.I. Joe Comics, IDW
One of the best things about today’s blog culture is getting some behind the scenes glimpses as the thought processes behind our favorite pop culture topics. IDW editor Andy Schmidt delivers on that in a big way with his latest “Blargh” post on Comics Experience.
Going into great detail about the thought process that went into continuing the Marvel universe with G.I. Joe #155 1/2 (turning into an ongoing series with #156), and also talking about where Devils’ Due fits in (it apparently doesn’t), and also what target audience this new book is geared towards. You might be surprised. Click the “Read the Rest of this Entry” link below to check out the full text of this revealing post, or you can just hit up Andy’s blog site right here. Big thanks to The Terror Drome for the heads up!
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by generalsjoes | Apr 23, 2010 | Comics and Cartoons, G.I. Joe, G.I. Joe Comics, IDW
Comic Book Resources had a chance to speak with Larry Hama about the upcoming IDW continuation of the Marvel G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero comic, and as always, Hama’s take is a unique one regarding the title’s relaunch. About his frequent returns to the G.I. Joe universe, he had this to say:
“Almost anything that has to do with G.I. Joe, I haven’t instigated,” laughed Hama explaining to CBR News how the project came about.
”It’s always somebody picking up the phone and going, ‘Hey! How about this?’ I feel much more comfortable doing the original characters, but at the same time, they’ve also evolved some in my head, because, hopefully, I know a little bit more about visual storytelling. The process of telling their stories changes.”
Of course, CBR also poked and prodded about the Marvel universe, starting with issue #155 1/2:
“There’s this interim issue in the free issue that’s the Cobra setup issue,” Hama said of his new story. “Cobra has created a situation of a fraudulent terror alert and created these situations that make it seem like there’s a huge terrorist uprising going on [in America.] And now, Cobra has stepped forward as a civilian contractor to augment the police and the national guard. It’s sort of riffing on current events. They’re in a position where they’ve got this power that’s been given to them, because basic rights have been overtaken thanks to the fear of the populous. I think it’s a very real fear.”
But in his typical Larry Hama style, he also injects his opinions about plot vs. characters…and it’s a concept that I think he has a very unique take on. So often I’ve seen characters completely changed to match a particular story. Mr. Hama seems to take the opposite approach, morphing the story around the characters, which I think is what helps those characters be so immortal.
“You start running out of combinations after 13 years. You make a guy change sides, or a character dies. You’ve got to change stuff up, because it’s sort of like doing a long-running soap opera, except your actors aren’t aging out of the parts. The fun aspect of it is playing with the characters and what makes them tick. The plot was always subservient to the characters. I can’t remember a single plot. They’re not important to me. But I remember who the characters are, and if you get that down on paper, that’s really the important thing. People don’t walk away from it liking the plot – they walk away liking the characters. That’s everything.”
Of course, you can read the whole article right here. A great read. Thanks very much to Mysterious Stranger for the heads up.
by generalsjoes | Apr 16, 2010 | Comics and Cartoons, G.I. Joe, G.I. Joe Comics
I figured with all of the attention Dr. Venom is getting on the site this week, it would be neat for me to spend a few minutes talking to one of the most influential folks behind the character of Dr. Venom. Mike Vosberg was the artist on the G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero comic way back in those days, and the look was the immortal Cobra scientist was born from his hands. But trust me, you know Mike Vosberg from a lot of other things beyond just G.I. Joe. He was the man who drew the comic pages for the Tales from the Crypt TV series, and he has also done storyboarding for countless Hollywood projects.
For these few minutes, though, I talked to him about G.I. Joe, and about Dr. Venom specifically. Some of his answers are interesting…and for anyone who thinks Grand Moff Tarkin is a good head for a Venom custom, turns out there’s a reason for that! Click the “Read the rest of this Entry” link below to read the full interview, and a huge thanks to Larry Hama and Mike Vosberg for setting up this interview!
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by generalsjoes | Apr 14, 2010 | Comics and Cartoons, G.I. Joe, G.I. Joe 25th Anniversary, G.I. Joe Comics, IDW
USA Today uberfan writer Brian Truitt has posted some cool details and a couple of cover images from the upcoming Issue #155 1/2 of G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero, coming for Free Comic Book Day on May 1st. As if that weren’t enough, he also spends some time interviewing the immortal Larry Hama, who talks about the return to his familiar stomping ground. Hama reveals some tidbits about the issue (which becomes an ongoing series with #156):
“Issues 155 ½ and on take place mere months after the events of No. 155: G.I. Joe headquarters has been mothballed, and the team’s been dispersed to different places all over the world. The Cobra organization is still alive and slithering, though — Cobra Commander is literally dreaming of rolling H.I.S.S. tanks into Washington, D.C. — and it takes full advantage of having no real American heroes running around. “They have to somehow get back together, and all the Cobras are trying to track them down and do them in,” Hama says. “It’s everybody against the Joes.”
Check out the full interview right here!
